Travel
Calls grow to extend beach season in Busan, South Korea
haps Magazine Korea
September 9, 2024
(Busan)
Despite Busan’s official beach closures on August 31, visitors continue to flock to its shores, with foreign tourists and locals alike enjoying the beaches day and night.
In countries where there are no specific beach season restrictions, foreign tourists are taking advantage of Busan’s coastline even outside the designated summer season.
This surge in off-season visitors seems to be driven by longer summers due to heatwaves from climate change and the growing popularity of activities like surfing and barefoot walking.
Both Busan City officials and local governments are facing increasing pressure to revise their outdated beach operation policies.
Currently, most of Busan’s beaches are open from July 1 to the end of August, with some opening earlier in June.
During these months, beaches operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. However, this schedule appears out of sync with the extended summer weather patterns.
Even after the official closure, Busan’s beaches remain busy and local beach merchants are also seeing a surge in late-summer visitors.
The prolonged heatwave is the primary factor behind the continued influx of beachgoers.
This summer, Busan experienced 47 days of heatwave warnings, and even after the warnings were lifted, temperatures have consistently remained above 30°C.
Shifting beach trends also play a significant role in the extended beach season.
Songjeong Beach has become a haven for surfers, Gwangalli Beach has attracted paddleboarders, and Dadaepo Beach has emerged as a popular spot for sea surfing.
Songdo Beach, featuring attractions like cable cars, draws visitors year-round.
Foreign tourists are helping to reshape the beach scene. A recent survey indicated that the ratio of foreign to domestic visitors at Haeundae Beach was nearly equal this summer, with many foreigners even swimming at night, despite lifeguards frequently intervening to stop them.
There is growing support for more flexible beach operations to keep pace with climate change and evolving tourism trends.
Currently, Busan’s beaches operate under long-standing guidelines, with only minor adjustments made over the years.
For example, Haeundae Beach began opening earlier in June starting in 2011, followed by Songjeong Beach.
Other regions in Korea have already extended their beach seasons in response to the warmer weather.
Incheon’s Wangsan, Eulwangri, and Hanagae beaches extended their opening periods until September 8.
In Seoul, the Hangang swimming pool and water park, which typically close in mid-August, have extended their operations until the end of August next year.
Officials in Busan are now considering similar changes.
A representative from Busan’s Tourism Policy Department stated, “As summers lengthen, discussions are underway to extend the operating period of beaches. We plan to engage with local governments and related organizations on this matter.”
Haeundae District Mayor Kim Seong-su echoed these sentiments in local media, emphasizing the need for a proactive review of beach operations in light of the changing climate.